Chapter 2: Integrated Methods for Studying a Systemic Conceptualization of Stress and Coping

Conceptualizing stress, coping, and the relationship between the two constructs has traditionally been a popular area of study in behavioral, health, and social sciences. Attesting to the continued and growing interest in stress and coping, a simple search of the World Wide Web reveals thousands of scholarly articles and books on diverse populations of participants across cultures, and many more magazine and newspaper reports about this highly relevant topic. Despite this abundance of literature, how these terms are operationalized remains controversial. This chapter will first examine the complexities inherent in conceptualizing stress, coping, and their relationship, while also examining the state of current research on these constructs, suggesting the need for a systemic approach. Historically, studies of stress and coping have not effectively accounted for social networks and contextual elements that influence outcomes (Pescosolido, 1992). To convey the enormous complexity of stress and coping in education (and beyond), and also to demonstrate the need for a systemic framework, we will present a case example of a post-Katrina middle school student and her family.